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$ -and Here and There on the Turf Thoroughbred Horse Association. Mistakes That Were Made. Beauregard Makes Good. Strolling Player Qualifies. » —4 The Thoroughbred Horse Association seems to be -on the Arerge of dissolution. The refusal of Edward R. Bradley to longer continue as its president, of itself was almost enough to wreck the organization, but the other defections are such that it would appear that the end may be at hand. And with the refusal of Mr. Bradley to continue to serve on the board of directors, there also followed announcements of the proposed retirement of J. S. Barbee and C. H. Berryman, while Thomas B. Cromwell, who had served as secretary for twelve years, made it known that he did not desire the appointment again. The association has from time to time done much for the horsemen, but its acts have on occasions been ill-advised and one of the most serious of recent mistakes was the effort to make compulsory a deduction of a certain percentage from every purse offered, to be diverted to the association. That amendment to the rules of racing was proposed to the Kentucky State Racing Commission, but properly turned down. At the same meeting of the commission that official publication of the association, which had also been the official organ of the commission, lost that portion of prestige to the Thoroughbred Record. It was also brought out that while 1 there were eighty life members, as well as 464 members from whom dues were ? collected, there had been many deficits 1 and that Mr. Bradley, as president, had contributed more than 0,000 to make good these deficits. It was also shown that there was a deficit of 0,000 incurred last year. Admitting that the association did real good, it is hard to understand just how such expenses could be incurred, with 1 so many members each taxed dues, and all of this possibly had something to do 1 with the present condition of th.2 association. Naturally there were expenses , 1 ? 1 1 1 of one sort or another from time to time, but it seems these expenses should certainly never have reached the figure suggested by the deficits. There will be a fight to hold the association together, but it will be a hard fight without such a man as Mr. Bradley. Miss Peggie B. Baileys Beauregard was not named for either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes, but at Havre de Grace on Thursday he took the measure of four of the eligibles to the big stake races. These were Big I Chief, Cloudy, Taras Hall and Spear [ Rock. i It was at a mile and seventy yards ! and the real surprise of the race was the i poor showing of Max Hirschs Taras ] Hall, which, in a previous race, had won i in a fashion to give him importance as a Preakness Stakes eligible. The performance of the Hirsch can- didate was so far below what was ex- , pected, that he slipped back considerably and, as a matter of fact, if anyone of , the eligibles really belongs in the Preakness Stakes Beauregard has a better . reason for having been named for it. i By this it is not meant that Beauregard is of Preakness Stakes class, but it is meant that the Havre de Grace race was one to just about eliminate the others, unless they are capable of improving considerably over that showing by May 11. What was doubly disappointing in the Taras Hall performance, was the way in which he quit under hard riding and when he was in a position where a good colt could surely have come on to victory. This colt impressed as being the cut of a stayer, but that estimate will have to be reversed until he wipes out this defeat. Admiral Grayson is so well pleased with the manner in which his three-year-old Knapsack has shown an ability to stay as well as sprint, that he will be the selection for the Dixie Handicap at a mile and three-sixteenths, to be decided at Pimlico on Tuesday. This colt is also engaged in the Preakness Stakes and it is entirely possible that he will also be sent to the post in that rich three-year-old race on May 11. With Strolling Player, also an eligible to the Preakness Stakes, it is natural to expect that the Salubria Stable will cut an important figure in the 0,000 added race. It would have been well if the Jamaica stewards had called jockey McAuliffc into the stand after the running of the fifth race of Thursday to have him explain just why he had pulled up March Hare. The Wheatley Stable filly did not seem to have suffered enough interference to be ridden in the McAuliffe fashion and there was no apparent excuse for McAuliffes unusual action. The daughter of Mad Hatter — Wendy-was racing alongside Showery and going well when McAuliffe was seen to take her back. Then he took her further back and finally he pulled the filly up, until the impression was general that she had broken down in the race. She came out of the race perfectly sound and showing no cuts or bruises that warranted the ride and the pulling up by McAuliffe. What made the offense doubly hard to understand was the fact that March Hare had worked exceedingly fast and on all she had shown in private she had speed enough to go into a good lead from the start, after she was away so well, but McAuliffe just did not know how, or would not make her run as she demonstrated so often in the morning she was capable of running. Admiral Graysons Strolling Player - surely proved himself in his mile and ► j seventy yards victory at Havre de Grace ! on Friday. What was of particular im- i portance in his success, was the game fashion in which he hung on after having j made the pace, and after lesing much ground on the stretch turn. It was just I such a race to proclaim the half-brother I to Call Boy as truly one of the best of the three-year-olds shown this year. Toro, which was such a close second, gave an excellent account of himself, but the race run by Sortie since his victory in the Endurance Handicap at Bowie last fall was disappointing, and he may be expected to improve over his showing | here. However, Strolling Player has i qualified handsomely for the Preakness i Stakes and he is sure to improve when I he learns more about racing around the ,j turns of the American courses.
